Divorce has been predisposed as an ugly word to many people with negative connotation. Divorce can suggest a million things to people, including: failure, bitterness, disillusionment, poor planning, and long term unhappiness. But does divorce have a positive side? The answer may surprise you. Take into consideration some of the benefits of what divorce entails:

Divorce From Someone Who Made You Unhappy.

Divorce isn’t sad. An unhappy marriage that persists and continues to ruin the lives of the couple involved is sad. When you get divorced, you separate yourself from a toxic person (or at least a toxic relationship). Be thrilled that you can now set your own rules, define your own personal limits, and run your own finances without interference.

You Get to Do Whatever You Want After Divorce

Newly single people often speak of being nearly overwhelmed by a feeling a freedom. This elation may inspire you to seek bold new goals. When you were married, you need to set your watch by your spouse. You needed to watch the movies they liked, participate in the hobbies they liked, and decorate your home in the way they liked. Now that you’re on your own, you can set your own parameters.

Divorce Allow You to Connect With Your Friends.

After a divorce, you can strike up old friendships that previously had been dying from neglect. Friendship is a crucial component of mental health. And since you’re no longer being held down by your spouse, you can build those components. Being with friends is another counterintuitive benefit of the extremely high divorce rates of many countries—sure, you’re divorced, but so is everyone else! When you split up, you won’t be all that alone. Loads of newly single people will be right there with you!

You Can Make Dramatic Life Decisions.

When you’re married, you have a responsibility to your spouse. They married you, not your dreams. Now that your only responsibility is you, your can can reach up to your fantasy version of yourself. You can make big decisions without worrying about whether your spouse will agree or will suffer through the growing pains. As a single person, you can work on your dreams without being concerned about putting hardships onto anyone else. Make a career change, Go back to school. Take up a strange hobby that would have embarrassed your spouse. Move across the country, or even to a new country. Those exciting new places will offer you adventure, excitement, meaning, and even the strong possibility of future romance.

Your Ex Will Be Doing the Same.

Don’t worry about your former spouse. Not all divorces end in bad spirits; this leads to many newly divorced people feeling guilty about their newfound joys. Don’t feel guilty about your exciting new phases of life. Most likely, your ex is going through the same good experiences. You should both be happy for one another. You should absolutely not feel bad about enjoying the world. The two of you have agreed that life will be better for both of you if you split up. By enjoying yourself and growing your self in positive ways, you’ll be proving that both of you were right.